Emotional competencies in the process of teaching and learning in nursing, from the perspective of the neurosciences

Objective: to investigate aspects of the interaction which occurs between feeling and learning from the perspective of the neurosciences. Method: research with a qualitative approach, of the case study type, undertaken in Brazilian public nursing colleges. The research subjects were lecturers and students. The techniques of use of a questionnaire, individual interviews and a focus group were used in data collection. Results: knowledge of cerebral functioning and the functioning of different structures involved in the learning of cognitive, technical, emotional and relational competences can help the lecturer in her task of teaching. Conclusions: we can outline the difficulties of learning and need, as lecturers, to develop teaching strategies based in the new knowledge from the neurosciences so as to maximize the students' learning. This new knowledge brings elements which contribute to the teacher's training, facilitate the process for the person learning, and make teaching more pleasurable.